28th Annual Downbeach (Margate, NJ) Polar Bear Plunge 2023

A great annual tradition continued today, with the 28th Annual Downbeach Polar Bear Plunge in Margate, New Jersey … sponsored by Robert’s Place.

Robert Sutor has sponsored this usually frigid event for many years.

Today, Sunday, January 1, 2023, it’s not nearly as cold as during past years.

The air temperature in Margate City, New Jersey right now is 53° and the ocean temperature is 39°

So, technically, this year it’s not even a polar bear plunge by definition. However, if you’ve ever done anything like this in the past … it’s still a very cold plunge.

Typically, the Downbeach (Margate City) Polar Bear Plunge attracts more than 1,000 people.

The event takes place on New Year’s Day at Essex and the beach in Margate City, New Jersey.

Get our free mobile app

Rick Santoro had one of our favorite responses as to why it’s a good idea to take this annual polar bear plunge.

About 15 minutes before it was time to take the 12:00 noon plunge, Santoro wrote on his Facebook Page:

”On the Margate beach preparing to take a plunge to wash the 2022 stink off.”

We think that this is as good a reason as any!

We caught-up with Santoro after the plunge.

“We hung out on the beach for an hour our plunge and then gathered our crew and took a nice drive down the beach past Lucy to Longport and back. Beautiful day and fortunate to live the life we have have here,” said Santoro.

Check back here later. We’ll update this with more information and photos.